Sidetracking tool



W` BRAUER SIDETRACKING TOOL.

2 Sheets-Sheet l v Filed March 16, 1936 R.. O65 .l 9 ,E I .l l U A 657 9 WNZA, 7m, f WA M VQ p f VL. u 7 7V/WMU M nom f r. w 3R w \Mmm 6 El 3 H )(Z LIL @d L .x A ,i W A.. 6 oO 5 Q 5 VD Z 5 3 Z 5 2 /d d MIJ f VWwv/v x .z 5 s. PVM l Z ro lill... n L j MJ WH l( a T A 4M 1 a0 7 4 6 im il i e@ Dec. 14, 1937. w. BRAUER SIDETRACKING TOOL 2 sheets-Sheet 2 WALTER BRAUER.

6mm/MM40- Filed March 16, 1936 Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED sTArEs PATENT ori-*ICE The invention relates to a sidetracking tool and particularly of the type which is used in sidetracking a well bore.

It is often necessary that the direction of awell bore be sidetracked so that it may penetrate desirable formations and with a view of avoiding some obstruction. In a majority of instances the well bore contains a string of pipe or casing which is usually of steel and if the elevation aty which the side tracking isto occur is within this wellcasing a window -or opening must be drilled I through the steel pipe.

It seems obvious that considerable diiliculty is encountered indiverting the milling tool so as to cut the window or opening in the steel pipe.

It is desirable also to orient the window which is being formed so that the sidetracking will occur in the desired direction. This is particularly true where some undesirable formation is to be avoided and the direction of the well diverted to a predetermined location. 'Ihe present invention directs itself toan assembly of parts which are so constructed and arranged that they may be 'lowered into the well bore and a complete rslazietracking operation performed thereby. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an anchor, which can be oriented in a well bore to serve as a support for a sidetracking tool assembly l Another object of the invention is to provide in combination with an anchor a diverting man- .drel which will serve" to move the milling tool into an eccentric position in the pipe to be milled.

Another object of the invention is. to provide an assembly made up of a tapered mandrel, eccentric bushing and a milling tool which can be lowered into the well bore as a unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a centering device for a milling tool diverting mandrel so that the tool will be forced against the pipe to bemilled while `the mandrel is maintained in a centeredposition.`

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanylng drawings herein:

Fig. 1' is a central vertical section of the upper end of .an assembly embodying the invention and arranged in operating position in a well bore.

Fig. 2 is the lower en d of the assembly shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the anchor in thepipe. Fig. 3 shows the anchor of Fig. 2 in position before itis set.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on theline 4 4 of Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the eccentric bushing and the centering device mounted upon the mandrel.

Fig. 7 is a section taken Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the pipe being milled with the sidetracking assembly shown therein.

The pipe through which the sidetracking operation is to occur is seen in Fig. 1 and illustrated generally at 2. It may be any form of well casing.

on the line II-II of ation is to be performed, the direction is ascer- I tained and the elevation at which the window 3 tailed construction 8 which is to receive the jaws 9 of a slip assembly which are slidably mounted 25 on the body 5. l

The body '5 is provided with openings II which are arranged to receive the spring ngers I2 having the hooked ends I3 thereon, so that these ngers tend to hold the jaws 9 in retracted posi- 30 tion as seen in Fig. 3. A collar I5 is slidable on the lower cylindrical portion of the body 5 and is cut out at its upper end at I6 to fit over the ends I3 of the iingers I2 to hold them in position in the Openings H. 35

A spring I8 normally urges the collar I5 up-` wardly and this spring abuts against the lower end I9 on the body 5.

A plurality of spring arms 20 extend outwardly from the collar I5 and scrape lagainst the inside 40 of the pipe 2 as the anchor is lowered. These arms click past the couplings 2I .on the pipe 2 until the anchor has been lowered to the desired elevation, whereupon an upward pull on the operating string 4 brings the arms into a coupling 45 opening as seen in Fig.` 2 so that the locking collar I5` is held stationary while the body 5 continues'to be raised. This releases the ngers I2 and the Jaws 9 from their locked position. The

next operation-fis to again set down on the oper- 50 When it is determined that a sidetracking oper- 15 after the mandrel has been passed up into in orderv to cut the window.

operation that the operating string 4 had been properly oriented lso that the rib 25 in the insidepassage 26 of the body 5 was facing in apredetermined and desired direction for a.` purpose which will -be later described. The setting string 4 is then unscrewed from the socket 28 in the 'upper end of the body 5 so that the anchor remains in the well bore.

The Vsidetracking tool is so 'constructed and arranged that it can be -lowered into the well bore iat the same time as the milling tool and in Fig. 1 the operating string or drill pipe is seen at 36. 4'fI'his pipe has threaded to its lower end a collar 3| which may be of any desired length and has the milling tool or cutter 32 attached to its lower lend. This milling cutter is of a construction such that it has' teeth 33 on the lower face thereof which are ararnged to cut into the wall of the pipe 2 in order to form the window 3. In Fig. 1 the window 3 is practically completed with the collar 3B of the milling cutter projecting out through the side 'of the pipe 2.

It seems obvious that this milling cutter 32 must be moved laterally in the inside passage 35 of the pipe 2 so that the window 3 will be cut in the side wall. To accomplish this, the sidetracking tool is provided with a mandrel 36. This mandrel is best seen in section in Fig. and has a flat tapered or beveled face 31 which; tapers downwardly and outwardly as regards the back face 36 of the mandrel.

As seen in Fig. 1, this mandrel 36 has been telescoped upwardly inside of the milling tool 32 .and the collar 3| and carries an extended head stop piece 33 thereon which is suitably aflixed the collar and serves to prevent the mandrel from dropping out of the collar, or passing below the upper end 40- or the bushing 4|.

The bushing 4| is positioned in a recess 42 in the lower end of the collar 3| and the upper inside portion o the milling tool 32, and is rotatably mounted therein but is fixed against long'itudinal movement relative to the collar and bit by being held firmly in position by the connection between the milling cutter 32 and the collar.

This bushing is best seen in section in Fig. 5 and has an eccentric passage 42 therein which receives the mandrel 36. This passage has flat sides at 43 so it is non-rotatable with respect to the mandrel but the mandrel may slide vertically through the passage 42. A suitable passage for fluid 44 is'provided in the bushing.

As seen in Fis- 5 a plurality of antirriction rollers 46 are carried on the side of the bushing 4I which abut against the face 41 inside of the collar 3| and milling tool 32. The pressure of side-tracking the cutterg32 is transferred from the face 31 of the mandrel to the bushing 4| by the contact face 45, and-then by the antifriction `rollers 46 to the inside surface 41 of the cutter or collar.

In view of the fact that the opening 42 in the bushing is eccentric causes the bushing to force the cutter 32 oi center as the bushing slides downwardly along the tapered face 31. The mandrel and bushing will remain stationary and as the stem 30 imparts rotation to the cutter 32 the cutter will be forced gradually against the wall of the pipe to form the window 3.

It is, of course, necessary that the mandrel 36 be maintained in a centerposition in the pipe 2 To accomplish this,

y, a centering sleeve 60 is shown as carried by the :drei as in position,

aio'aost that prior tu the setting t lugs 6| 'which project from lthe lower end of the bushing 4|. The side plates 62 are pivoted on the pins 63 on the lugs 6| and have their lower ends connected to the sleeve 60 so that the sleeve 66 will move vertically with the bushing 4|, and, of course, with the cutter `32 :so that it is closely adjacent the area being cut to avoid imparting excessive bendingv stresses to the mandrel 36.

vAs seen in Fig. 1, the pin 63 is mounted in a slot 64 in the lugs 6| so that the bushing 4| may move laterally without carrying the sleeve 60 with it. The purposeof the sleeve 66 iis to vhold the mandrel in central position in the pipe 2 and it is intended that it will be of sufiicient strength to avoid bending when the milling cutter is rotated.

In order to anchor the lower end of the manand in order to orient it so that the window 3 will be formed in the proper direction, the lower end of the mandrel 36 is formed with a reduced section 65 which is arranged to pass into the opening 26 in the anchor assembly, as seen in Fig. 2. The end 65 is formed with a groove 66 which is complementary with the rib 25. It will be seen that if the anchor has been positioned in the well, as seen in Fig. 3, and the'operating string 4 removed, that then the milling tool assembly can be run into the well and the lower end 65 of the mandrel will come in contact with the body 5 of the anchor. A slight rotation thereof will cause the groove 66 and rib 25 to move into alignment so that the mandrel will slip down into the opening 26. This drop of the milling tool assembly into the opening 26 indicates to the operator that he is 4properly oriented and set and that he canl now begin. lowering the drill pipe 30 and rotating the same in order to cut the window 3.

The passage 68 is formed through the mandrel in order to permit the desired circulation of uid during the milling operation, or a circulation can be maintained through the passage 44 if desired.

Broadly the invention contemplates a sidetracking assembly which can be anchored for orientation in the well bore in order to form an opening in the desired direction and at the desired elevation.

What is claimed is:

1. A sidetracking tool of the character described comprising an anchor to be set in the well bore, av tapered mandrel carried by said anchor, an eccentric bushing slidable on said mandrel, and a milling cutter rotatably carried by said bushing, whereby relative sliding movement between said bushing and mandrel moves said milling cutter laterally.4

2. A sidetracklng tool of the character described comprising an anchor to be set in the well bore, a an eccentric bushing slidable on said mandrel, a milling cutter rotatably carried by said bushing, whereby relative sliding movement between said bushing and mandrel moves said cutter laterally, and means carried by said bushing to center said mandrel in the well bore. l

3. The combination with a pipe in avwell bore which is torhave a window drilled therein of a wedge mandrel, means to anchor said mandrel in said pipe, a milling tool disposed eccentrically over said mandrel to be wedged against said pipe thereby so that rotation of said tool will cut said pipe, and means carried by said tool to 4center' said mandrel in said pipe.

' 4. A milling tool'for sidetracking through well pipe comprising an operating string of pipe, a

milling cutter on the lower end thereof, and an eccentric bushing rotatably carried thereby. w

5. A milling tool for sidetracking through well operating string of pipe, a

milling cutter on the lower end thereof, an eccentric bushing rotatably carried thereby, and a mandrel to receive said bushing to hold said cutter eccentrically in the pipe.

6. A milling tool for sidetracklng through well f pipe comprising an operating string of pipe, a

milling cutter on the lower end thereof, an eccentric bushing rotatably carried thereby, a man- I3 drel to receive Bald 'ecoentrically in the pipe. and ing member below said tool.

7. A sidetracking assembly comprising an anchor member, a tapered mandrel supported thereby, a centering sleeve slidable on said mandrel, an eccentric drive bushing also slidable on said mandrel, and a milling cutter to be driven a mandrel centerinto the pipe to be cut by said bushing sliding on the taper of said mandrel.

bushing to noia seid cutter l 

